Chronic Absenteeism Prevention and Interventions United Way School Attendance Initiative Summit CSAS| Kansas State Department of Education | Landon State Office Building 900 S.W. Jackson St., Suite 653, Topeka, KS 66612 | 785-296-3444 | jgirodat@ksde.org

Who is impacted by Absences? The student Missed instruction, relationships, social interactions Other students Re-teaching slows down the entire group Student groups Increased group work & collaboration in the classroom Teachers Lost time explaining what was missed & re-teaching School Decreased instructional time means decreased achievement which means increased number of remedial classes taught Cindy

Impacting Attendance Things we can directly control Things we can’t control, but can influence John

Procedures What are your procedures for taking attendance? (Who, when, how, changing attendance) Should be the same throughout the district Track attendance to the minute Bullet 1 – John Bullet 2 - Cindy

Transitions Transitions (Elementary to Middle School; MS to HS) Spikes in Chronic Absenteeism in transition years Old relationships, connections and supports disappear Cindy

Things we can’t control, but can influence Parent Stressors Parental Misunderstandings Transportation Early Grades aren’t as important Students will catch up Neighborhood Safety Only consecutive absences matter Chronic Illness Absences are o.k. as long as the parents sign-off Sibling Effect Attendance is about legal compliance BLAME John

Team Approach to Looking at Data! John Chronic Absenteeism

Chronic Absenteeism Process Form a team Look at your data/indicators Identify your interventions – what do you have/need Implement, Monitor, Adjust, Repeat Re-evaluate your process annually Cindy

Who do you need on your team? Administrator Mentoring Coordinator Counselor Parent/Family Liaison Social Worker Foster Youth Services Coordinator Teacher Anyone else you need Nurse Attendance Clerk/Secretary Cindy

We know who is absent… Now What? Once a student has shown an off- track indicator you either need to solve a problem or change a behavior To do this there has to be a relationship with a caring adult IDENTIFY Students Find the WHY Early INTERVENTION/SUPPORT “We have found that if you can get the right support to the kid at the right time, you can get them back on track.” – Robert Balfanz John

Tier 1 – Prevention Cindy – Tier 1 Only

Preventing Chronic Absenteeism RELATIONSHIPS!!! Messaging Make sure families know the importance of attendance Work with child care & pre-K providers to emphasize the importance of attendance Make sure staff knows of attendance importance/interventions Relationships – John; Relationships & Messaging – Cindy; Messaging - John

Preventing Chronic Absenteeism Creating a culture of attendance Make school a place students want to be Welcome students and families at the door Call to express concern when they miss class Relevant and engaging curriculum (IPS & CTE) Provide academic supports to struggling students so school becomes a place of success not failure Incentives Bullets 1-4 & 6 – Cindy Bullets 4-6 - John

Whole school strategies – Tier 1 Engaging School Climate Positive Relationships with students and families Impact of Absences on achievement is widely understood Monitor the Data Common Barriers identified and recognized Parental Engagement Recognize Good and Improving Attendance Both

Tier 2 Inteventions Cindy

Who are Tier 2 Students? Students who are missing 10-19% of school days Calculate based on percentage of membership days, not full year school days Early identification and intervention is key! John

Tier 2 Goals Stabilize attendance Remove/decrease obstacles Rule out more serious problems Establish contact with guardians Identify times/triggers for potential future absences Address academic deficiencies from absences Cindy

Finding the WHY ES – Cindy; Secondary - John

Tier 2 Strategies Working with groups of students that might benefit from the same intervention/support Student Success Plans Mentoring: Breakfast Club or Lunch Bunch Before or After School Activities Scheduling Academic Supports Transportation Help or Coordination Both

Tier 3 Interventions Cindy

Who are Tier 3 Students? Students who miss more than 20% of school days Those students that aren’t responding to Tier 2 Interventions Individual and intensive Often requiring assistance from outside agencies or professionals John

Tier 3 Interventions 1:1 mentoring Regular home visits Outside agencies Coordination, facilities, sharing information, etc. Legal avenues Wrap around services Both

John Girodat, Program Consultant Kansas State Department of Education 900 SW Jackson St. Suite 653 785-296-3444 jgirodat@ksde.org The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:  KSDE General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, KSDE, Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, Suite 102, Topeka, KS 66612, (785) 296-3204